Roubaix copyright holder says Specialized overstepped the mark

The CEO of Advanced Sports International (ASI), the company which owns the worldwide rights to the Roubaix trademark, has said that Specialized overstepped the mark in preventing a Canadian bike shop owner from using the name.

ASI CEO Pat Cunnane told Bicycle Retailer that his company has no problem with retailer Dan Richter calling his store Cafe Roubaix.

“We have reached out to Mr. Richter to inform him that he can continue to use the name, and we will need to license his use, which we imagine can be done easily,” Cunnane said.

The story began earlier this week when Richter told the Calgary Herald that Specialized lawyers had told him to change the name of shop. The general manager of Specialized Canada told the Calgary Herald that Specialized had an obligation to protect its trademark, or risk losing it.

Cunnane told Bicycle Retailer that he has reached out to Specialized but has received no reply as yet:

“

We are in the process of notifying Specialized that they did not have the authority, as part of our license agreement, to stop Daniel Richter … from using the Roubaix name.

While ASI does have the authority to object to Mr. Richter’s use of the name and while we at ASI understand the importance of protecting our bicycle model names, we believe that Mr. Richter did not intend for consumers to confuse his brick-and-mortar establishment or his wheel line with our Roubaix road bike.

And we believe consumers are capable of distinguishing his bike shop and wheel line from our established bikes.

Pellizotti to stay with Androni after Astana debacle

Franco Pellizotti appears set to stay at Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela after a deal with Astana fell through due to concerns about Pellizotti comprising Astana’s committment to the Movement for Credible Cycling.

Cycling News reports that Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela manager Gianni Savio will need to convince the team’s sponsors to find the extra funding to keep Pellizotti on board, but that such a deal is near completion.

“I’ve gone back to my pool of sponsors and asked them if they’re willing to make an extra effort to sign Franco. I’m still waiting for some replies but I expect to know in a few days time,” Savio told Cycling News.

“I’d spent on my planned budget and completed my roster with Johnny Hoogerland, Kenny Van Hummel and Marco Bandiera. However if I can gather the resources, I’d be happy to have Franco stay on with us for 2014.”

Team Argos-Shimano, which was cited by the UCI for irregularities in its initial application, and Trek Factory Racing,which is transferring a licence from RadioShack Leopard, were also granted registration for next year.

Interview with Lewis Rattray

Our friends over at BrewCX have published an interview with one of the few Aussies who has taken the plunge to race cyclocross overseas, Lewis Rattray.

You might remember some of Lewis’ work for CyclingTips in recent years and in this interview Lewis chats to the guys at BrewCX about the realities of racing ‘cross in Belgium, some tips for riding in sand and his goals for the upcoming season.

Yamaha’s latest electric motor for bikes

Here at CyclingTips we don’t spend too much time paying attention to electric bikes but we couldn’t help but be interested in this latest electric bike motor from Yamaha.

This 250W electric power-assisted motor for bikes was displayed at the Tokyo Auto Show last month and weighs roughly 3kg. In the photo above the motor is mounted on a Cherubim with Campagnolo with the whole setup weighing roughly 12kg.

As far as electric bikes go that’s pretty light, and it certainly isn’t as ugly as some of the electric bikes on the market!

Click here and here to see a bunch of photos of the motor installed on the Cherubim.

Dear Motorist

This video has been doing the rounds on social media over the past few days but if you haven’t seen it already, we highly recommend it. It’s a simple but effective piece about road safety that highlights just how vulnerable we cyclists are when riding on the road.

Click on the image above to get through to the video.

Women’s A Grade at the 2013 Tour of Bright

This is a great video from women’s A grade at the recent Tour of Bright and we highly recommend taking a look. We’re not quite sure who made it as we get a “page not found” error when we try to go to the original video. But to whoever did put it together, kudos, and thanks for sharing!

Road Bike Party 2 – Martyn Ashton (and friends)

Incredible stunts and amazing tricks all completed on a Colnago C59 Italia? It can only be a Road Bike Party!

Lycra-clad trials legend Martyn Ashton’s first Road Bike Party was a YouTube sensation, so a sequel had to be made, bigger and better than before! Martyn was in the middle of filming when his life was transformed by an accident during a trials display which has left him paralysed from the waist down. Courage, determination and great friends have helped Martyn to complete his vision for what a Road Bike Party is.

Click on the image above to get through to the video.

The Rocacorba Recap

And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed:

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Today’s feature image was taken by Kristof Ramon on stage 7 of this year’s Eneco Tour and shows the famous Kapelmuur climb in action. The Kapelmuur returns to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2014 for the first time since 2011.

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Steel

It’s rather difficult for me to dislike a cycling brand/company- with few exceptions they represent the sport/mode of transport that I love.

But gee whiz Specialized are giving it a good crack.

They’re like the Hummer of cycling brands. The anti-social bunch of dicks that hold everyone else in contempt.

velocite

The elephants and the fleas were playing a footy match when an elephant trod on a flea. In answer to the umpire’s remonstrations the elephant said ‘I only meant to trip him’…

Specialized’s actions looked predatory but it was really corporate stupididity, and as it turns out corporate incompetence. Nothing to do with the quality of their bikes though.

But the totally awesome thing is that through this episode a global brand has been created: ‘Cafe Roubaix’. How can Richter capitalize on that? My bike is clear coated, but I’d consider getting it branded Cafe Roubaix!

echidna_sg

so what will Specialized call their soon to be opened in store cafe’s now?

stick it to em little guy! great to see the public getting in there and buying out his stock of all kit and t-shirts!

Geoff

Agree – it was probably corporate stupidity – probably they have some B team players in the legal dept. Marketing are probably cringing and pulling their hair out.

Halcyon Days

Let’s not assume that it was a case of corp stupidity or legal incompetence. The S ship is tightly run by Sinyard. He alone created the cult of Specialized/ Sinyard. Lawyers present their bosses with options and do what, in this case, is their master’s bidding. There’s no height of incompetence that a lawyer can attain that reaches to the height of Sinyard’s assh*leness.

echidna_sg

funny or coincidental that we see a small flood of “Iamspecialized” ads around the cycling media now (including on here). Let the marketers go nuts, I know everytime I see that logo right now all I can think of is Cafe Roubaix…

Notso Swift

If they (Specialized) were smart they would start selling through Cafe Roubaix
(I know that is against the original concept of the store)

velocite

Brilliant idea! Of course they won’t…

echidna_sg

you may well see him stock Fuji though!

Faz

It all appears to be a storm in a latte glass now. Seems everyone’s happy ‘cept for those on the internet….

Steve G

The Yamaha bike is certainly attractive for what it is and a damn sight lighter than a lot of their competition.
Mind you… 11 speed groupset AND a motor? You could ride it with one leg I guess!

Mark

I disagree… it is ugly because it tries to look like a road bike. It would be better if it just looked like what it is.

Steve G

It looks like a fine road bike to me, with the added bits associated with a electric motor.
It has a campy 11sp groupo on it ffs, that’s pretty high-end roadie to me.
It is what it is, people will hate it on principle because it doesn’t rely on ‘gun power'; for myself, if I have to see e-bikes everywhere then I’d rather see them like this one!

velocite

I’m just transfixed watching Road Bike Party. And showing the spills in the making just emphasized the gulf between them and me. I might watch it every morning.

Andrew

I get a’ privacy settings error’ on the Women’s A Grade at the 2013 Tour of Bright video link.

Lach

I also get the same error – I’ve tried searching for it. Naturally, what I can’t have I want to watch even more now.

Notso Swift

Alreay looking forward to spring and the Boonen Cancellara duel that we have been denied for the past couple of years

But, it will always be Het Volk to me

xrider3464

….so world race organisers see no reason why races are closing all over the place when icons like the Kappelmuur are left out of the Ronde and we’re offered another 4 days racing around a sandpit…..almost as smart as Specialized.

pedr09

Oh Dan, I’ll bet you did have a great conversation with Mike Sinyard, in as much as he was forced to back off and leave you alone. But you’d have to know that what he really wanted was to reach down the phone and rip your frickin’ lungs out. I don’t buy the “legal dept fail” notion either. A company’s culture is driven from the top and Specialized is simply a nasty piece of work.